


Uniform

by HamToasT



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Makoto Niijima Week, Makoto Niijima Week 2020, Very very light though, mentions of bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27246454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HamToasT/pseuds/HamToasT
Summary: For Day 3, Team mom/Motherhood promptFutaba invites Makoto over when looking over her new uniform for a new school.
Relationships: Niijima Makoto & Sakura Futaba
Kudos: 14
Collections: Makoto Niijima Week 2020





	Uniform

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of Makoto Week, featuring Futaba! And an extra bonus, super self indulgent bit at the end.

“You know Makoto; you’d make such a great mom one day.” Futaba said with a smirk as Makoto patted away any lint found on the dark blue, pristine jacket of Kosei High School’s uniform that Futaba wore, arms outstretched. Makoto’s eyes widen as she stood up straight, staring at the shorter girl’s amused expression.

“w-what?!” Makoto couldn’t hide her surprise and embarrassment. The comment had come so out of nowhere and had certainly caught Makoto off guard. This certainly wasn’t what she expected to hear after Futaba had asked her if she could come over and help her prepare her uniform for her first day at Kosei for the following week. Makoto would have figured Futaba would have asked help from Ann, an obvious choice when it comes to clothing advice, or Yusuke, another obvious choice for the fact he still attended Kosei on his third year there. Makoto had only suspected it was due to Futaba’s interest in them and embarrassment that made her choose not to invite them, but she can see now from the glint of Futaba’s eye through her glasses that wasn’t the case at all. Futaba wanted to talk about something. Taking a seat at the foot of Futaba’s bed, her eyebrow raised at the younger girl, questioningly.

“Oh?”

“Mm-hmm!” Futaba nodded, falling back into her computer desk chair, tucking into herself as always when she places her socked covered feet on the seat and hunched over, a familiar pose that Makoto was sure would ruin her posture before she was forty. Makoto tried (and failed) not to let the concern show on her face when she thought about it, but either Futaba ignored it or that spurred her on.

“Remember when back when we were Phantom Thieves, and Akira brought me to Shujin Academy one time for my promise list?” Futaba asked, and Makoto nodded, though the other girl appeared to be too busy reminiscing to see. “You walked by suddenly and instead of just going onto your business, you and Akira showed me around and brought me everywhere you could in that crummy place.”

“Yes...” Makoto trailed off, still unsure where Futaba was going with this. She was also surprised by how it sounded through her tone, Futaba was remembering it fondly. Makoto had figured that she wouldn’t considering on that day…“But I don’t really see how that makes me motherly? I’m sure if Ann or Ryuji had seen you, they would have been happy to show you around.”

“Eh, it wasn’t really that. It was more on when you and Akira were showing me around and… I kept remembering bad stuff when I was in middle school… you would try to get my mind of it and cheer me up…” Futaba’s voiced cracked slightly. “Making sure… I felt safe. And telling me I did such a great job even though I got depressed and stuff. Telling me that stupid stuff I said about lemons was wonderful.”

Futaba lifted her glasses to scrub her eyes and Makoto felt her heart sink remembering that day. The down beaten tone of Futaba’s voiced as memories of her traumatic school days haunted her, making Makoto know that even before her mother’s tragic death, Futaba had been an outcast. Makoto’s heart ached for the girl that day, knowing how school was in middle school and having been treated the same way for focusing on her studies. And it ached knowing what the future held for Futaba.

Futaba placed her glasses back on her face and gave Makoto a smile. “You always do that kind of stuff for people, ya know? Always going outta your way to make sure we’re all safe and feeling and protected and alright, and tell us you’re proud of us or that ya want to be proud of us.” Futaba got up from her chair and stood before Makoto, the older girl feeling a sense of pride seeing Futaba stand so strong.

“You nag us and it annoys us—well Ryuji, honestly—but it’s cuz you care and want the best for us. And you don’t hide that you love us a ton.” Futaba said, mind wandering back to all the times Makoto had scolded the Phantom Thieves for causing a ruckus, or reminding them to study for exams much to a blonde boy’s chagrin. She remembered back while floating in the black ocean of the cognitive world of Shido’s sunken Japan, the older girl had latched onto Futaba and buried her face into Makoto’s chest as debris flew across them, protecting her face. And still having a tight hold onto her as they floated away from the explosions of their shipwreck. Or when Futaba had stepped onto the sand of the beach, towel she wrapped across her face, stumbling about before being stopped by strong hands, which proceeded to undo her work. And instead of seeing the ice cold judgments of people on the beach, the first that appeared to her was Makoto’s warm smile, before she moved out of the way to show the rest of their friends all equally happy to see Futaba’s face, and though Akira’s proud smile came close, none with the same softness Futaba was all too familiar with.

It was the softness she saw on women in public as Futaba would pass by, holding their children firm, but close as to not get lost in the crowd. The softness she saw by a painting by the entrance of the café, given by a certain Inari.

It was the softness she remembered from _her_ , when she was alive and would serve her curry after a long day of work, adjusting with the time she could spend with Futaba.

“You really reminded me of my mom—” And before either of them knew it, Futaba was crying and Makoto was holding her close all the same. Makoto’s own eyes were damp from seeing Futaba go through a flurry of emotions seemingly out of nowhere, but she hadn’t mind before and she doesn’t now. She was gentle, as to not ruin the girl’s new uniform, but firm as to make sure Futaba knew she wouldn’t let go while she’s like this.

Futaba had a point. She did have a knack for protecting others. How could she not when she saw how the world would treat the unprotected? Like Futaba, children or even herself when she was her age and even right now.

“Heh, see? You’re doing it again.” Futaba said, pulling away, her purple-brown eyes glossy from tears but she appeared to be happy.

“You started crying, what else could I do?” Makoto retorted, sitting back down on the bed. She hadn’t even realize she had stood up earlier. Futaba sat beside her, bringing a hand up to either wipe her tears or blow her nose on the jacket’s sleeve, only stopping with Makoto’s warning glance, opting to merely reach for the shirt discarded on her bed when she changed earlier. Makoto rolled her eyes as Futaba grinned in amusement before speaking again.

“Anyway, just wanted to say I forgot to thank you for that day. That was really cool of you, which is great cuz usually you’re uncool.” Futaba said, smirking a bit at Makoto’s flabbergasted expression at the comment. _She’s not as used to this as Inari, mweh heh heh._

“Thank you, I guess?” Makoto said carefully, unsure what to do with the shift in tone. Deciding to tease back was really her only choice. “That still doesn’t really mean I would make a good mother though.”

It was Futaba’s turn to roll her eyes. “Yeah totally not. Can’t be a mom when you’re not even a wife yet, right?” Futaba said, voice dripping with sarcasm that made Makoto smirk until Futaba enthusiastically got up. “Oh, I know! You should marry Akira! Or Haru! Then have kids! You can finally _really_ be a wife and mom! I mean you and Akira we’re already kinda like a mom and dad, but for real this time!” Futaba bounced, the teasing causing Makoto to blush bright red. _How did she even know I liked… hng!_ Makoto thought as she stood up and grabbed Futaba by the arms, outstretching them once more as she looked for any malfunction in the wardrobe, trying to forget her embarrassment.

“Anyway! You invited me here to help you with your uniform, correct? Other than the obvious, what else did you need me for?”

“You get to have the honors to see my uniform first, besides Sojiro cuz duh, for helping me back then!” Futaba said proudly and Makoto had to admit, she was rather happy for the girl. First day back as a second year to a school like Kosei High was no laughing matter. “And help me get my first day of school look! I wanna look as smart as you do when you used to wear your Shujin clothes!”

“Well, I mean no offense, but black and white socks don’t exactly look very professional.”

“Yeah but they look cool so they stay!”

~

“But mom, I think they look cute.” The brown haired girl said as Makoto looked down her 12 year old’s uniform. The black and white striped socks stood out in her wardrobe. “They said we’re allowed to wear what socks we want. I like these!”

“Well, I suppose they do look quite nice.” Makoto started before being cut off by the person beside her.

“I like them! They look cool.” Futaba said, brushing her hair back, her bob cut similar to Makoto’s hair in high school and college before the Niijima had settled for a much shorter hairstyle as an adult.

The girl lit up. “See? Auntie Futaba thinks so too! Can I keep them on?” she pleaded and Makoto sighed, smiling.

“Fine, you may keep them on.”

“Thanks mom.” The young girl said gratefully, before back to her room, presumably to change back as her mother hadn’t seen anything wrong with it, and had given approval to her minor adjustment, and see it’s good to go for the following week. Futaba took a sip from her coffee made by Makoto’s spouse before speaking.

“See? Told you, it’s like you rolled a 10 on the whole mothering thing!”

“I suppose you were right.” Makoto said, leaning back with a cup of coffee in her hands as well, smiling at Futaba, now her fellow adult.

**Author's Note:**

> I left Makoto's spouse, and the other parent to be ambiguous so it can either be Akira or Haru. And yes Futaba's got a crush on both Ann and Yusuke, mostly Inari. You're welcome bi people


End file.
